It’s just a couple of days away from the official start of Summer!
I don’t know about where you are, but we have had a gorgeous Spring in between some very wet and dreary days. We’re getting some much needed rain to hopefully help with the usual water restrictions and drought that seem to happen every year.
Summer’s around here are HOT. We’re lucky enough that there are so many waterparks to keep us cool in the coming months.
Want to know what else we plan to do this Summer? Check out our Summer 2016 Bucket List below! I’ll be blogging throughout the summer as we cross them off – be sure to check the bold text (IE : Take a Hike) as the summer progresses and we complete it, I will blog and link it! I look forward to sharing our summer time adventures with you!
Take a Hike!
We got into hiking the summer before we got married. I love the scenery and the serenity of it. A friend and I would go hiking every other weekend or so to various trails around the Lower Mainland. Check out the website for a list of many, many trails – you can sort by level, distance, transit friendly or by area. One of my favourites is Admiralty Point, though Deep Cove’s Quarry Rock is a close second! I’m hoping to get out with the boys for some trail walking this summer – maybe some of the easier/shorter ones will be better for us though so both the boys can walk it.
http://www.trailsbc.ca
Go Geocaching!
My husband and I got into geocaching a few years ago. If you haven’t heard of it, you should check it out. It’s a modern spin on a treasure hunt. But there isn’t any actual treasure involved, just bragging rights! (Though occasionally there is a small loot you can swap something you bring for)
Geocaching makes for a fun, adventurous day! It gets you moving and out of the house – and exploring little nooks of your city that you normally wouldn’t even think to pay attention to!
http://www.geocaching.com
Make a Geocache!
It’s simple! All you need is a container and a sense of adventure. Che
ck out the link below for suggestions on what to include and where to put it.
http://www.geocaching.com/guide/
Go to the Beach!
Sunset, White Pine, Jericho or White Rock. Any beach will do for building sandcastles, dipping our toes in the water, combing for seashells and enjoying a picnic. Or perhaps hot dogs from the amazing hot dog vendor by Sunset beach?
http://bcmag.ca/travel/five-great-beaches-in-the-lower-mainland
Make and Deliver Treats for the Neighbours
We are moving this summer – how perfect would it be to introduce ourselves to our new neighbours and bring over some fresh baked cookies or cupcakes! While Jason knows the neighbours (it’s his childhood home!) it will be nice to re-introduce ourselves.
Here’s a favourite simple chocolate chip cookie we like to make.
http://www.marthastewart.com/344840/soft-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies
Go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge!
Capilano has come a long way in the past ten years. When I went as a child, we went across the bridge, looked around and were done within twenty minutes. Boring! But now they have a ton of interesting things for those that like heights! The bridge is still the main attraction, but now they have also included the Cliff Walk, Tree Top Adventures and a few other sights and activities, included in the admission! Also, for the price of a single visit, BC residents (with proof of address) can get a membership for an entire year! Score! We got our memberships a few months ago and definitely need to go back this summer!
http://www.capbridge.com
Make Stepping Stones for the Garden!
How cute would it be to add these into our garden each year?! We could do handprints or footprints and see them grow. Their footprints could lead a path throughout our garden.
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-CONCRETE-How-To-Make-Stepping-Stones/
Spend the Day on Granville Island!
There’s so much to do here! There’s the spray park and playgrounds. The Kids’ Market. Adventure Zone, if your kids are old enough and you want to browse for an hour or two, sans children. Food Market, where you can grab some picnic lunch items and sit along the docks outside (though, watch out for the Seagulls, they can be a bit feisty!) or out on the grassy fields while flying a kite.
Parking can be hard to find during the summer weekends but it’s not impossible! Just be prepared to dodge pedestrians while scouting a spot. Pay parking is a bit easier to come by, if you’re up for spending some money to do so.
There are plenty of buskers around the Island so you can usually catch a performance or two – anywhere from music to a man juggling fire while riding a unicycle balanced on a suitcase, stacked on top of a baseball bat…
http://granvilleisland.com/discover-island
Play with Spray Sidewalk Chalk!
This looks like so much fun. The boys would have a field day decorating the driveway with this… I can picture a fair amount ending up on them, but nothing a quick play in the sprinkler can’t handle! Check out the Thirty Handmade Days link below for a recipe.
http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2011/06/summerfunforkids/
Go Berry Picking!
We went last year and it was fabulous! We had fun picking berries, though Dean ended up snacking from the bushes and was stealing from our buckets as well and we didn’t actually pick much – we bought pre-picked from the farm after some time in the fields though! I swear, they need to weigh kids on the way in and then again on the way out and charge for what they snatch. There are so many different farms – check out the link for a compiled list, below! We particularly like Krause as it has a few extra things, beyond just the fields.
http://www.findfamilyfun.com/berrypick.htm#.U4ehzRboa2w
Join a Summer Reading Program!
We join one every year, even though Dean is too young to be reading the books himself. They offer prizes and contests and activities throughout the summer, on top of the encouragement to read for a short time each day. I think most local libraries have a reading club – get down to yours and check it out!
http://www.surreylibraries.ca/5370.aspx
Go to the Burnaby Central Railway!
At Confederation Park, located near Willingdon and Hastings, is a miniature train. It’s perfect for those train-lovers that are borderline obsessed. My guys will have a blast riding the rails on miniature steam engines.
Rides are approximately 10 minutes long and tickets are $3.50 each, or a book of twelve (no expiry) for $30. Children under three ride for free.
Confederation Park also has a spray park, playground, running track and a library and indoor pool if looking for an escape from the outdoors.
http://burnabyrailway.org
Go to a Fancy Ice Cream Shoppe!
What says “Summer” better than a scoop of tasty ice cream on a waffle cone?! The list below is so tempting, we may be crossing this off the list multiple times!!
http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/best-ice-cream-metro-vancouver
Build a Sandcastle!
The hard part about this is going to be to build one before the boys destroy it. Bonus points if they can handle the temptation and actually help with the building! It won’t be as epic as these in the link, but the boys will be impressed, nonetheless. (Mainly because I won’t let them see the link so they won’t be aware how RAD they can actually be!)
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/epic-sand-art?utm_term=.qtQBWMbKv#.fdpw6xMJ7
Go on a Bike Adventure Around Vancouver!
Come on, we knew this was going to be on the list. I have a renewed bike obsession. I love riding and the boys are pretty into it, too. Dean loves riding along side and is actually pretty darned good at being a cautious and courteous rider. Looking for some local paths? Click the link for some suggestions in your area.
https://bikehub.ca/maps-route-planning
Discover a New Playground Nearby our New House!
As we will be moving into a new neighbourhood, it’s a great time to explore close to home. We’re not moving far but it definitely changes up what our “local” parks will be. We’re going to be venturing out in search for a new go-to playground.
The Lower Mainland has many fabulous playgrounds – here’s a small start of a list of parks worth a trip out of your area for! There’s many more not on here though.
http://www.vancouversun.com/playgrounds+Metro+Vancouver/11166738/story.html
Make a Handmade Bird Feeder!
Dean and Sammy LOVE animals. They really like watching birds but tend to get excited and chase them. I would love to hang these outside the front window so they can see the birds come to eat but they can’t bother them while they eat.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/craft-ideas/how-to/g678/bird-feeders/
Do you have anything that would be on your bucket list? I always love to hear more ideas of local fun things to do!
Crushed Cheerios 
What a great blog and so much great info on what one can do and see.